CHANGE AND RELEASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
A change and release management process tool allows storing change and release records in a common record schema. A database may be used to store change and release records. The tool provides a unified tracking and reporting system. Reports are provided at various aspects of the process. The technology facilitates best practices in change and release management.
1 . A method for managing changes to a computing environment, comprising:
organizing the computing environment into a logical representation characterized by groups of elements sharing at least one common characteristic;
recording changes to elements in the computing environment in terms of a change to at least one group of elements; and
storing each change in a common record format including an association of the change with other groups of elements affected by the change.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the common record format includes at least one of a risk category of the change, an urgency of the change, the services affected by the change, the stream affected by the change, the domain of the change, a target start date, and a target end date.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the common record format includes at least one of an expected server downtime, an expected service downtime and/or an expected database downtime.
4 . The method of claim 3 wherein the common record format includes at least one of an actual server downtime, an actual service downtime and/or an actual database downtime.
5 . The method of claim 3 further including the step of reporting on at least one of expected versus actual server downtime, service downtime and/or database downtime.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of recording includes creating a change request by providing a set of required data in the common record format.
7 . The method of claim 6 wherein the step of recording further includes adding release data to the common record format for a change request.
8 . The method of claim 1 further including the step of outputting one or more views of a collection of change records to a user interface in an order defined by a change management process.
9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the collection of views includes at least one of a changes requested view, a changes approved initially view, a changes approved for deployment view, a changes in post implementation review view, a changes complete view and/or a changes rejected view.
10 . A method for managing changes to a computing environment, comprising:
providing a common schema for storing a change and release data associated with one or more elements in the computing environment;
recording changes to elements in the computing environment in terms of a change to at least one group of elements; and
outputting one or more views of a collection of changes to a user interface in an order defined by a change management process.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the common record format includes at least one of a risk category of the change, a type of change, a requester of the change, an urgency of the change, an indicator of services affected by the change, an indicator of a stream affected by the change, an indicator of a domain of the change, a target start date, a target end date, an expected server downtime, an expected service downtime and/or an expected database downtime.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the common record format includes at least one of an actual server downtime, an actual service downtime and/or an actual database downtime.
13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the step of outputting further includes outputting a report detailing at least one of expected versus actual server downtime, service downtime and/or database downtime.
14 . The method of claim 1 wherein the step of recording includes creating a change request by providing a set of required data in the common record format.
15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the step of outputting includes providing at least one of a changes requested view, a changes approved initially view, a changes approved for deployment view, a changes in post implementation review view, a changes complete view and/or a changes rejected view.
16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the step of recording includes updating the change request by following one or more decisions by the change management process.
17 . The method of claim 15 wherein the step of recording further includes adding release data to the common record format for a change request.
18 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:
providing an input interface including a common schema for storing change and release data associated with one or more elements in the computing environment;
receiving one or more data records recording changes to elements in the computing environment in terms of a change to at least one group of elements; and
outputting one or more views of a collection of changes to a user interface in an order defined by a change management process.
19 . The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the step of outputting includes providing at least one of a changes requested view, a changes approved initially view, a changes approved for deployment view, a changes in post implementation review view, a changes complete view and/or a changes rejected view.
20 . The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the step of receiving includes receiving a change request including a set of required data in the common record format and receiving release data in the common record format for a change request.